Kosovo’s election winner lacks a majority, forcing urgent coalition talks and raising fears of continued political paralysis ahead.
Kosovo seeks a way out of the political crisis after snap parliamentary elections, where the Vetëvendosje party won but did not gain enough support to form a government on its own. The country’s prime minister, Albin Kurti, appealed to other political forces with a call for cooperation to overcome an 18-month political stalemate.
The country aims to join the EU, and Brussels stresses the need to build strong institutions and reforms that meet membership requirements. However, political instability leaves Kosovo without fully functioning government structures, delaying reforms and EU funds; analysts say the crisis could continue further.
According to preliminary results from 99.4% of ballots, Vetëvendosje is at 43% of the vote – this is the third election in 18 months. The Democratic Party of Kosovo has 21%, the Democratic League of Kosovo 18%.
Even with about 100 thousand diaspora votes yet to be counted, Vetëvendosje will not manage to obtain an absolute majority to form a government.
In the coming weeks Kurti assured: “In the coming weeks we will communicate, meet with the opposition and cooperate with all political actors,” he told supporters late on Sunday.
“In the coming weeks we will communicate, meet with the opposition and cooperate with all political actors,”
– Albin Kurti
Normalizing the political situation requires coalition agreements, as Kosovo seeks a stable government capable of pushing reforms toward European integration. Kurti’s supporters celebrated the victory in the capital, but he himself remains cautious about prospects for stronger support than in December.
“Over the next four years Albin Kurti will lead Kosovo. I hope that after ten years he will lead Europe,” said Kefsire Rechitsa, who lives in Germany but returned to Kosovo to vote.
Turnout in the elections stood at less than 37%, the election commission said. Kurti appeared on the political scene in 2021 with a more nationalist and social program; like other major Kosovo parties, he is pro-European and opposes further concessions to Serbia, relations with which have remained tense almost two decades after the declaration of independence.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think this is the end of the crisis,” said political analyst Artan Muhaxhiri. “For now we do not see signs that major changes will occur.”
– Artan Muhaxhiri
“One option is that Kurti will continue with a government with a narrow majority, which will create many problems in implementing large projects Kosovo awaits. Another option is that Kurti will need to make big compromises,”
– Artan Muhaxhiri
Overall, Kosovo’s political dynamics point to a need for a broader coalition and a cautious approach to reforms. Analysts expect negotiations with the opposition to continue, and European partners will continue pressing to advance reforms and transparency in the state apparatus needed to move toward European standards.
Nevertheless, the next steps remain open, and Kosovo continues to seek a balance between domestic politics and the demands of European integration.